Power converter with modular stages connected by floating terminals
An apparatus for electric power conversion includes a converter having a regulating circuit and switching network. The regulating circuit has magnetic storage elements, and switches connected to the magnetic storage elements and controllable to switch between switching configurations. The regulating circuit maintains an average DC current through a magnetic storage element. The switching network includes charge storage elements connected to switches that are controllable to switch between plural switch configurations. In one configuration, the switches forms an arrangement of charge storage elements in which at least one charge storage element is charged using the magnetic storage element through the network input or output port. In another, the switches form an arrangement of charge storage elements in which an element discharges using the magnetic storage element through one of the input port and output port of the switching network.
1. An apparatus for electric power conversion, said apparatus comprising a converter having a first port and a second port, said converter comprising a regulating circuit and a switching network, wherein said regulating circuit comprises an inductance and a first switch-set connected to said inductance, wherein said first switch-set is controllable to switch between switch configurations, wherein said regulating circuit maintains an average DC current through said inductance, wherein said switching network comprises charge storage elements, and a second switch-set connected to said charge storage elements, wherein said second switch-set is controllable to switch between switch configurations, wherein, in a first switch configuration, said second switch-set forms a first arrangement of charge storage elements, wherein said first arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be received through a terminal of said switching network, wherein, in a second switch configuration, said second switch-set forms a second arrangement of charge storage elements, wherein said second arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be released through a terminal of said switching network, wherein said switching network further comprises a first terminal connected to said regulating circuit and a second terminal connected to said regulating circuit, and wherein, during operation of said converter, said first and second terminals are at corresponding first and second non-zero voltages.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, during operation of said converter, said first voltage is different from said second voltage.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, during operation of said converter, said first port is at a third non-zero voltage, said second port is at a fourth non-zero voltage, and said fourth non-zero voltage is a multiple of said third non-zero voltage.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said terminal through which said first arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be received and said terminal through which said second arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be released are different terminals.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said terminal through which said first arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be received and said terminal through which said second arrangement of charge storage elements causes charge to be released are the same terminal.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first arrangement of charge storage elements further causes charge to be released through another terminal of said switching network.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein said controller is configured to control said converter.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said controller controls at least one of first switch-set and said second switch-set.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said controller controls said first switch-set to regulate electrical characteristics at said first port and at said second port.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein controller causes said first switch-set and said second switch-set to switch between their corresponding switch configurations at different frequencies.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said charge storage elements comprise capacitors that are integrated into an integrated circuit.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first arrangement of charge storage elements further causes charge to be received through another terminal of said switching network.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said converter is monolithically integrated into a substrate.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said converter is monolithically integrated into plural substrates.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first port is coupled to a source and said second port is coupled to a load.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, during operation of said converter, said first port is at a higher voltage than said second port, said switching network is coupled to said first port, and said regulating circuit is coupled to said second port.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, during operation of said converter, said first port is at a higher voltage than said second port, said regulating circuit is coupled to said first port, and said switching network is coupled to said second port.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said regulating circuit comprises a step-up converter and said switching network comprises a step-down switched-capacitor converter.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein an additional regulating circuit is coupled between said switching network and said second port.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said switching network comprises a step-up switched-capacitor converter and said regulating circuit comprises a step-down converter.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein an additional regulating circuit is coupled between said switching network and said second port.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises an adiabatically charged switching network.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a cascade multiplier.
24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a multi-phase switching network, and wherein said regulating circuit comprises a multi-phase regulating circuit.
25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a reconfigurable switching network, and wherein, after reconfiguration thereof, at least one of said first switch configuration and second switch configuration changes.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said regulating circuit comprises a bidirectional regulating circuit.
27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said regulating circuit comprises a switch-mode power converter.
28. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said regulating circuit comprises a resonant power converter.
29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said regulating circuit is connected between said switching network and an additional switching network.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching circuit is connected between said regulating circuit and an additional regulating circuit.
31. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said converter further comprises an AC bridge rectifier.
32. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said regulating circuit comprises a magnetically isolated switching network and wherein said inductance is provided by a transformer.